"Katherine Kerr - Deverry 06 - A Time Of Omens" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Katherine)

celebrating, he would work on the gorchan and even at times get a word of advice or encouragement
from one of the royal bards, who seemed to find his efforts at formal poetry touching in a childlike way.

Just after dawn one morning, before either the king or Branoic was up and around, he slipped off by
himself to a hidden corner of the ward and sat down on a pile of old burlap sacks to tune his harp. He
worked mechanically, humming out the intervals and tuning up the strings without consciously hearing
himself, because he was thinking of al the times heтАЩd done this job when Aethan was sitting nearby
teasing him about how slow he was, or how sour the harp sounded, or other little jokes that somehow
never rankled. All at once he was aware of being watched and looked up to find the queen herself
standing nearby. She was barefoot, wearing a shabby pair of blue dresses, with her uncombed hair
streaming over her shoulders, and she was carrying a bowl of milk.

тАЬYour Highness! My apologies! I didnтАЩt see you.тАЭ

тАЬDonтАЩt get up and bow and all that. I just crept out to get a bit of milk for my cat. She had four kits in
the last watch of the night.тАЭ

тАЬWell, my congratulations to her, then, but, Your Highness, you should have let a servantтАФтАЭ

тАЬOh, I suppose youтАЩre right, but truly, IтАЩm not used to all this bowing and scraping, and having people
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swarm all around me all the time.тАЭ She yawned, covering her mouth with her free hand. тАЬMaryn was still
asleep when I left. IтАЩd best get back, I suppose. But how come youтАЩre sitting out here to play?тАЭ

тАЬI just wanted a private spot, like.тАЭ

тАЬWell, come with me, and IтАЩll show you a nicer one. ItтАЩs supposed to be only for the royal family, but
Maryn was telling me how much he honors you and Caradoc and Owaen, so you can use it, too.тАЭ

Scooping up his harp, Maddyn followed her inside one of the towers, up half a flight of steps, down
another, round a corner and through a maze of corridors, into another tower and out again, until at last he
recognized that they were in a corridor that would eventually lead to the tower that housed the royal
family. She ducked out one last little door, and they were in a garden, planted with roses and an
enormous willow tree, all gnarled and drooping with age.

тАЬThere.тАЭ Bellyra looked around in satisfaction. тАЬIf you climb up into that tree, no one can see you,
although, of course, if youтАЩre playing, theyтАЩll hear you. I used to come here a lot, but I wonтАЩt have time
anymore.тАЭ She looked briefly sad. тАЬAnyway, you can sit on the bridge if you donтАЩt want to climb the tree,
or just on the grass.тАЭ

тАЬMy humble thanks, Your Highness. I wonder if IтАЩll ever be able to find it again, though.тАЭ

тАЬOh, ask one of the pages. Tell them I said you could come here. IтАЩd best get this milk to Melynna.тАЭ

She trotted off back inside, and Maddyn walked across the bridge and sat down cross-legged by the
little stream. In the warm sun, sheltered by the rise of stone all round him, he felt a bit more of his grief